AdBlocker Detected!

We know, advertisements are annoying and slow down the internet. Unfortunately, this is how we pay the bills and our authors.
We would love for you to enjoy our content, we've worked hard on providing it. Please whitelist our site in your adblocker, refresh the page, and enjoy!

We Have Some Beef With This 2018 Buick Regal GS Review

Sponsored Links

In a recent review of the 2018 Buick Regal GS, Brian Harper of Driving stated that the sporty model feels underpowered and overweight. We thoroughly enjoyed our time driving the Regal GS, and felt compelled to chime in on the dialogue, if for nothing else than to do some fact-checking. What we found is that actual numbers tell a very different story than that of the review.

The Weight Myth

One of the review’s biggest critiques of the new Buick Regal GS is its weight. Harper refers to it as “SUV heavy”. We did some digging, and found that it tips the scales roughly in the middle of its competitive set (see the chart below).

Harper adds that the Regal GS goes, but “it doesn’t go with that verve that you would like a good, sporty four-door to achieve.” That’s where we bring out the power-to-weight ratio comparison – a more telling metric of how a vehicle would perform in the real world.

After doing some number crunching, we have discovered that the Regal GS – which is powered by the 3.6L V6 LGX engine making 310 horsepower – has one of the best power-to-weight ratios in its class. In fact, the Regal GS has a better power-to-weight ratio than the Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 330i GT and BMW 340i GT, Kia Stinger 2.0T, and the Acura TLX.

Let’s take a closer look at the Audi: it’s about 100 pounds lighter than the Regal, but it also has 60 less horsepower to work with from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which makes 252 horses and 273 pound-feet of torque. The result is that the Audi has a lower (worse) power-to-weight ratio than the Buick. And that’s not to mention the fact that the starting price of the A5 Sportback is $3,575 higher than that of the very well-equipped (if not loaded) Regal GS.

Vehicle

Curb Weight (Pounds)

Peak Power (hp)

Power-To-Weight Ratio

2018 Buick Regal GS:

3,796

310

0.081

2018 Audi A5 Sportback:

3,704

252

0.068

2018 Audi S5 Sportback:

3,924

354

0.090

2018 BMW 330i GT:

3,648

248

0.067

2018 BMW 340i GT:

4,012

320

0.079

2018 Kia Stinger 2.0T:

3,611

255

0.070

2018 Kia Stinger 3.3TT:

3,829

365

0.095

2018 Lexus IS 350 F-Sport:

3,595

311

0.086

2018 Acura TLX A-Spec:

3,804

290

0.076

All told, the Regal GS isn’t all that much heavier than its rivals, it doesn’t lag behind on the power ratings, and it certainly enjoys a much more favorable power-to-weight ratio than one would conclude by watching the review. In fact, the Regal GS has a better power-to-weight ratio than the lauded BMW 340i GT, which we imagine is one of the vehicles Harper is referring to when referencing “some really good German cars”.

It’s also not mentioned that the 2018 Buick Regal GS is also a full size class larger than most of the other vehicles mentioned in the comparison, especially the ones from BMW, Audi, and Lexus.

That said, “on paper” metrics such as engine output, curb weight, and power-to-weight ratios certainly don’t tell the whole story, especially the one about how one feels when behind the wheel. Even so, we don’t think the Regal GS is as bad as the review suggests.

“Merely Pretty Good”

Harper’s criticism of the Buick Regal GS boils down to this: the car “could have been so much better; instead it’s merely pretty good”.

And that’s a statement with which we ultimately can’t agree. That line of thinking ultimately misses the point of what the Regal GS aims to accomplish. The car is a play to make a solid premium-level vehicle that’s also fun to drive… not to make an outright performance car. So even if it’s not as good as some luxury vehicles, that’s ok – because the Buick is significantly less expensive while offering so much more. If we were talking about a Cadillac, then this would be a different narrative.

Go ahead and hit play to see the review for yourself and tell us what your take is on the review.

Sponsored Links

25 Comments

I am upset that GM offers Paddle Shifters on the European regular Opel Insignia model and not on the so called Buick Regal GS Performance version. Bean Counters are taking too strong of a hold within the Ren Cen unfortunately.

As I stated below… paddle shifters have always been somewhat of a gimmicky feature. They’re cool to have and to say that you have them (probably because of the image behind the word “paddle”), but they are not very useful, especially when one needs to shift while turning. The GS has +/- shifting in the gate, which is a significantly more natural way to control the gear selection. I’d take the gate-shifter over paddles any and every day of the week.

Now that I think about it, GM ought to create a “cool” branded word for the gate shifter… like paddle shifter… and use that to brand the gated shifters.

That said, I do subscribe to the bean counter rhetoric… but not in this particular case.

I have a red GS in my collection. The paddle shifters would be useless in this car because a couple of the gears are so close together its impossible to avoid the rev limiter. Paddle shifters would just draw attention to this fact.

BMW has a faster 0-60 only if you are talking about the 340, which has more power and is way more expensive than the regal, not the 330. Also, this has nothing to do with “underrating” engines and everything to do with the AWD. BMW isn’t really what it used to be.

BMW is overpriced. The last generation regal was 10k less than a 328i and received equal or better reviews on most parts. It’s essentially extra 10k for a lower quality vehicle and a snob badge – same as the Mercedes C300.

The 3.6L LGX is a Naturallt aspirated engine. It creates its max torque at 5K RPM. The car probably does feel sluggish. Nice attempt at combatting this review though. Power to weight ratio means little in how a car actually performs. The Regal GS makes 310hp, at 6.6K RPM, and 271lb/ft of Torque at 5K RPM. But since it’s a naturally aspirated engine, it’s probably a little delayed in getting to it’s powerband. For a good mixture of power, 5K is a steep hill to climb without. Turbo. The transmission plays another Huge roll in this, and if the ratios don’t help the engine reach the power and fast enough, than the car definitely would feel slow.

Having spent a good amount of time with the new Regal GS, the only way in which one can say that it feels “sluggish” is if they’re switching from a Camaro SS, Camaro ZL1, ATS-V or a CTS-V… or any comparable vehicle making 400 horses or more. What’s offered on the GS is a really solid package… and the value proposition is very difficult to beat.

The lack of paddle shifters is lame for what they are charging on this car. I sat in one for about 10 minutes at my local dealer and really hated the front seats. They were positively the worst I have ever sat in. Rock hard with oversized rock hard fists jabbing my back. Garbage. The regular Regal seats are far far better but are a tad narrow for best comfort. They definitely need to tone down the aggressive rock hard bolstering on the seat back for the GS.
Ironically my long time car friend also sat in one of these cars and without me saying a word proceeded to tell me it was the most uncomfortable seat he has ever sat in.

Paddle shifters have always been somewhat of a gimmick feature. They’re cool to have, but are not very useful, especially when you need to shift while turning. The GS has +/- shifting in the gate, which is a significantly more natural way to control the gear selection. I’d take the gate-shifter over paddles any and every day of the week.

The seats are only “uncomfortable” until you drive the car… which, from the sound of it, you didn’t do.

This isn’t a couch on which you sit still and observe objects in front you. Instead, it’s an object in which you are actively moving and making adjustments. One only understands how good the seats are by doing the thing the product in question is meant to do – to be driven.

For me the Buick Regal GS is the most beautiful and with the 3.6 V6 the perfect performance car. The competitors are actually BMW 540i xDrive and Mercedes E400 4 Matik. Audi A6 maybe synonymous, but is just an expensive VW derivative.

While you talk about power to weight ratios, let me bring up an important point – GM accurately rates their engines power. I don’t know if the Regal is SAE certified or not but GM has been using that rating for awhile now. The Germans are notorious for underrating their engines. Audi and BMW ratings are usually much closer to how much they are making to the wheels.
That said though, the Regal is a very nice car and deserves all the praise it gets.

your review states GS is heavy out of the 9 competitors it comes in 4th –that’s not too bad but on the other hand did you think GM would have done it right . If it was a Pontiac or Oldsmobile , these two were known for better style and speed .

Sorry but if your going to give the legendary GS nomenclature to a Regal that would suggest it is the “performance” variant and can’t give it the same LGX horsepower of 335hp that’s in the Caddy ATS and Camaro, then it shouldn’t be badged as a Gran Sport. That 25hp difference might have made the car more sporty for the reviewer.
Maybe GT for gran touring or even better, GL for gran luxury, or even GLT, etc….

You can compare the Regal six ways to Sunday but it will never be seen as special car.

It is not the Regal itself but the fact it just does not have the image. The other cars from Asia on the list also suffer the same fate as they al, are seen as discount sports sedans.

What this mean in this image driven segment it says you could not afford the more expensive sedans.

Add to this the decline of the sedan market and it makes the challange for an even very good car difficult.

As for paddle shifters don’t make them what they are not. In these cars they are a gimmick and nothing special. Having owned several cars with them they are not worth the bother unless you are in a proper sports car.

Your chart is very misleading. Stating just peak hp does not tell the whole story, it’s all about torque. There’s this old saying “horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races” All the cars in the chart, except the Lexus and Acura, are turbo charged, so it is not surprising if the N/A Buick feel sluggish compared to the turbo cars that make peak torque at a much lower RPM. For me, I would not, in 2018, buy any car that is naturally aspirated, unless it’s a V8. Maybe this is the reason you can’t get any German cars now with 4 or 6 cylinder engines that is not turbo charged.